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Prevent an unwanted infection by taking proper care of a wound as soon as it occurs.įor all things medical, you can rely on Thibodaux Medical Center to help. Visit Thibodaux Urgent CareĪn infected cut is a serious health concern. If at any point the cut gets worse or you experience excessive pain around the area, seek medical help. Let the area heal at its own pace while you keep a careful eye on it. This should be part of your daily routine until the area is totally sealed and no longer at risk of infection. While your wound heals, you should remove the bandage and wash the area. This prevents external germs from getting into the wound and infecting it. Wait for the area to dry and cover it with gauze or a band-aid. We recommend Neosporin as an excellent topical wound care cream. To be safe, layer antibiotic ointment around the area. While cleaning, look out for dirt and debris in your wound. Run warm water over the area for five minutes. Once the bleeding ceases, clean the wound. Small wounds should stop bleeding after a few minutes as your blood clotters seal the wound. Press a clean, soft cloth against the cut for two to ten minutes, depending on the amount of blood. Your goal is to keep the area clean to avoid infection and bodily harm.įirst, stop any bleeding. If you experience a cut or scrape, it will normally heal without needing medical care. If this happens, you’ll start to feel sick all over. Once there, the infection can reach your bloodstream, allowing harmful bacteria to infect your entire body. If your cut is infected, the infection spreads to your skin’s deep tissues, called the cellulitis. People suffering from poor blood circulation, diabetes, malnutrition, alcoholism, or who have an overall weak immune system are more likely to develop infected cuts. Animal bites and injuries resulting from construction tools (nails, glass, wood, etc.) are most likely to become infected. It may become infected if the cut is deep, heals slowly, or is exposed to dirt or saliva. If you don’t clean your injury within the first 8 hours, your risk of infected increases significantly.Ī wound is likely to become infected if it’s located on your hand, leg, armpit, or groin. Infected Cut Risk FactorsĪny wound can become infected if left untreated. It can lead to extreme fever, body aches, and nausea. If left untreated, an infected area is a severe medical concern. The first steps to healing an infected cut are to first recognize its signs. Without proper medical care, you risk potentially deadly complications. But if the proper treatment isn’t applied, a wound becomes infected.Īn infected cut needs to be treated as quickly as possible. Most of the time, your skin heals itself and repairs damages caused by a scrape or gash.
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Wounds break your skin and surrounding tissue. Your skin is your body’s largest organ and its first line of defense.
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